


5 Times Pepper Saw the Sparks Between Sam and Bucky

by 27dis



Series: i feel a change in the air tonight [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 5+1 Things, Captain America Sam Wilson, Developing Relationship, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Outsider, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), tony stark's funeral
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:22:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22051726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/27dis/pseuds/27dis
Summary: And one time she knew.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Pepper Potts, James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson, Pepper Potts & Sam Wilson
Series: i feel a change in the air tonight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559038
Comments: 8
Kudos: 97





	5 Times Pepper Saw the Sparks Between Sam and Bucky

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm back with this series! It took me a long time to gather the courage to write this. Mainly because I'm lazy, really. So, yeah, I'm really sorry that this takes too long. 
> 
> I got this idea back then when I'm dozing off on final exam (not really the best attitude, but in my defense, the test was really boring). I thought that now Sam and Bucky are the new Avengers, maybe Pepper is the one who helps them.
> 
> This fic has some reference from my past fics. Number one is from [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21570304). Number two and three is from [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21581944). Read them first to see Sam and Bucky's perspective.
> 
> English is not my first language, any grammatical and vocabulary mistakes are mine. I'm sorry for any other mistakes that you might find in this story.

1

When Pepper read the list of people who can be invited to Tony’s funeral he made months ago as a joke—of course it wasn’t a joke—, she was determined to give some of these people their inivitation face to face. _(She ended up crying with Rhodey that day, but that wasn’t important.)_

Some of them were easy, some of them were hard.

This one was hard. _Who_ , you ask?

Sam Wilson and James Barnes.

Pepper tidied up her appearance first before she rang the bell to their apartment. The two of them were like glue back then after the big fight. If you found Sam, you would find Bucky, and vice versa. Pepper didn’t talk with them that day, but she did talk about the future of the Avengers with them and some of the fighters left the next day. And, of course, they showed up together. Turned out that they even lived together now.

James was the one who opened the door. Pepper noticed that his hair was tied into a ponytail—it looked good on him. Before James managed to say anything, Sam peeked out from his shoulder. When he saw her, he put a reassuring hand to James’ shoulder and smiled to Pepper.

"Hi, Ma'am. Mind going in?" Sam said, pointing to the apartment with his head.

 _What a polite young man_ , Pepper thought.

“Hi, Sam. Just Pepper, please.” Somehow, her voice didn’t sound shaky and she offered them a small smile in return. “Actually, I just wanted to give this to you.”

Just by a five-minutes interaction, Pepper saw it all. Sam was comforting James with one hand and decided to take the matter in his hand. James actually smiled a little when he realized where Sam’s hand was. They shared a look. _Oh_ , how they look at each other.

In the end, they agreed to go to the funeral.

Pepper certainly didn’t miss how James’ hand found the shorter man’s shoulder when he closed the door.

2

They did go to the funeral. Pepper greeted them after the ceremony.

“No, no, I should be the one thanking you and Stark,” Sam said quickly when Pepper thanked them for coming. “Stark did a lot of good thing to us. We are not homeless now because of him.”

They talked a little bit after that. Actually, it’s like Sam and Pepper talking with James joining in sometimes. Pepper didn’t mind. She knew how uncomfortable he was being there.

“I’m sorry for cutting this short,” Sam said after they shared a chuckle over a dumb joke, “but I think your presence is needed elsewhere.” He gave Happy who was standing behind Pepper patiently a glance long enough for her to see what Sam meant.

Pepper would actually believe him if she didn’t see James tugging a little at Sam’s sleeve, like he needed to go somewhere private.

“Oh, yeah!” Pepper turned to Happy. “Is it Morgan?” When the man nodded, Pepper sighed and turned again to face Sam and James. “I’m sorry. My daughter needs me.”

Sam nodded in understanding. After they exchanged _‘good bye’_ s and _‘hope to see you soon’_ s, Pepper jogged to Happy,

Of course, she didn’t miss the way Bucky wrapped an arm around Sam’s shoulder and the way Sam smiled at him.

3

Pepper was shocked when she heard the news that Steve Rogers used the time travel machine to go back to the past _not only_ to return the stones, _but also_ went back to the love of his life and lived in the past. She was worried about Sam and James when she heard it.

She ran outside and to Bruce as soon as she could.

“How is Sam? How is James?” asked her, panicking, while Bruce was tidying up the machine. Bruce, realizing the panic in her tone, quickly pointed to the duo. Pepper thanked him before approaching them slowly. She stopped when she heard James spoke.

“That looks good on you.” James smiled when he said that. Pepper realized that Sam was lifting up the shield, Captain America’s shield. _Oh_ , Pepper thought, _that’s awesome_. Pepper’s excitement rose up as soon as she realized what was going on. Sam wasn’t smiling though. He looked worried and tired.

“Yeah?” Sam asked. Pepper wanted to run to him, hug him, and gave him the support he needed. But she knew that she had to stay away from this moment. At least, until they went back and ready to go home.

James watched Sam with adoration clear in his eyes. He was still smiling when he replied, “Yeah.”

Pepper slowly took a step back. She turned and went back to chat with Bruce. She should give them space. They could talk about it next time.

“How’s Steve?” Pepper asked as soon as she was next to the professor. “What should we do about him?”

Bruce seemed to be in a deep thought before he answered, “He is very old now even if you don’t count the time when he was in the ice, which is very weird. He needs someone who can watch him. He also needs a nice place to stay.”

Pepper nodded, agreeing with him. “I’ve thought about leaving this place for someone else. Maybe I should give it to him. Arrange him with a nurse or two.”

Bruce gave her an appreciative smile. Despite what she said, he knew the real reason.

“That will be great for him.” Suddenly, he noticed something behind Pepper. When Pepper turned, she saw Sam and James making their way to them. They didn’t seem to notice her and Bruce though because they are still talking animatedly with each other.

Pepper _definitely_ didn’t miss the way they are walking next to each other, almost, too closely. She was certain that Bruce saw it too, but decided to be quite about it.

4

They are the most obnoxious couple that Pepper had ever met.

Sam and James, she meant.

They didn’t fight all the time. They did bicker. They didn’t show their affection like it was something that the world needed to know. No, far from it. Their affection for each other were subtle.

At least, that was what they thought.

They were actually _not_ subtle at all.

They touch each other all the time. A hand on the shoulder. Knees bumping with each other in meetings. Fingers brushing over the breakfast table. Sparring with each other _too_ often. Standing close to each other literally everywhere.

_Oh, how they looked at each other._

“Are you sure they are not dating each other?” Pepper whispered to the man next to him, T’Challa, who sighed.

“No,” he answered, stealing a look at Sam and James, “they told me so. Sharon told me so.” T’Challa remembered the look at the agent’s face when he asked that day.

“Sharon told you so?” Pepper was surprised. If Sharon said that they weren’t together, they weren’t together.

“She mentioned that she hopes that they aren’t so shy about it,” T’Challa continued. “Maybe they are pining with each other.”

Pepper was the one who sighed this time. T’Challa actually looked like he was tired too. Their eyes came back to the said couple, _ehm, duo_ , again.

They were sitting not too far from them. Sam was taking a sip from his drink and James was telling him something. Sam had said that the other man didn’t want to come to the party first—which James embarrassedly denied—but he seemed like he was having a good time and smiling a little bit now and then.

Maybe it was because of Sam.

Of course, it was because of Sam.

When T’Challa changed the topic of their conversation, Pepper went along with it. She was pretty sure that James would enjoy the rest of the party.

She didn’t miss the way their hands meet on the table.

5

“You’re cheating.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You’re _definitely_ cheating.”

“No, I’m not.”

When Pepper entered the lounge, she was greeted by Sam trying to tackle James’ controller from his hands.

“Now, you’re the one who is cheating,” James said, unamused.

Pepper shook his head. Two grown-ups bickering over Mario Kart. No, _two Avengers who saved the city, no, the country on daily basis_ bickering over Mario Kart.

“Still trying to beat up Thor’s score?” Pepper asked behind the sofa as a greeting. Sam nodded while James shook his head.

“’M just trying to show this kid that I’m not cheating,” James said, snickering.

Sam looked offended by his comment. “Kid?” he asked. “How _old_ are you, Barnes?”

James didn’t miss a beat. “101 years old, I think.”

Sam barked a laughed and Pepper smiled. She made her way to the kitchen when they decided to continue to bicker over James’ real age.

When she made her way back to her office and the two of them were talking softly to each other, she didn’t say a thing.

She didn’t miss how James’ head was put comfortably at Sam’s shoulder.

+1

“So, when will you tell him?’

James was taken aback by the question that seemed out of topic. He and Pepper was preparing breakfast and chatting casually about the mission before. He frowned.

“Tell who what?” He asked back with confusion.

Pepper gave him her best unimpressed look. Did this guy seriously didn’t know what she was talking about?

“Tell Sam that you like him,” Pepper explained. “It’s pretty obvious, really.”

Pepper swore she could see that James blushed, realizing what she meant. He quickly turned away from her and focused on the task in hand. “I mean, I do like him. He is my partner in Avenging.”

“Not like that, James,” Pepper replied, shaking her head. “I know that you know what I mean.”

James went quiet at that. They worked in silent for a while with Pepper still staring at him and James trying to ignore it.

He failed.

“Do you think that he feels the same?” James asked with a small voice, but loud enough for Pepper to hear. She smiled at him.

“Of course,” she answered brightly. “And I think that you two should finish your ‘problem’,” Pepper stopped to smile, “fast.”

**Author's Note:**

> Check my [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/27dis)!


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